View source for Vicenza

{{Short description|Comune in Veneto, Italy}}
{{About|the city in Italy|the province|Province of Vicenza|other uses|Vincentia (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                   = Vicenza
| official_name          = Città di Vicenza
| native_name            = {{native name|vec|Vicença}}
| image_skyline          = Collage Vicenza.jpg
| imagesize              = 
| image_alt              =
| image_caption          = '''Clockwise from top''': [[Villa La Rotonda]]; the classical temple in the Parco Querini; Piazza dei Signori; the Renaissance [[Basilica Palladiana]]; and a panorama of the city from the [[Monte Berico]]
| image_flag             = Flag of Vicenza.svg
| image_shield           = Vicenza-Stemma.svg
| shield_alt             =
| image_map              =
| map_alt                =
| map_caption            =
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt        =
| coordinates            = {{Coord|45|33|N|11|33|E|region:IT-34_type:city(119038)|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes  =
| region                 = [[Veneto]]
| province               = [[Province of Vicenza]] (VI)
| mayor_party            = [[Centre-left]]
| mayor                  = [[Giacomo Possamai]]
| area_footnotes         =
| area_total_km2         = 80
| population_footnotes   =<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statistiche demografiche ISTAT |language=it |url=http://demo.istat.it/pop2014/index1.html |publisher=Demo.istat.it |access-date=1 December 2017 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728202025/http://demo.istat.it/pop2014/index1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| population_total       = 111980
| population_as_of       = 30 June 2017
| pop_density_footnotes  =
| population_demonym     = Vicentini
| elevation_footnotes    =
| elevation_m            = 39
| twin1                  =
| twin1_country          =
|istat=| saint                  = Madonna of Monte Berico
| day                    = September 8
| postal_code            = 36100
| area_code              = 0444
| website                = {{Official website|http://www.comune.vicenza.it}}
| footnotes              =
}}
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| Part_of     = City of Vicenza and the [[Palladian Villas of the Veneto]]
| Image       = File:Piazza dei Signori - Torre Bissara - Vicenza.jpg
| Caption     = Piazza dei Signori
| Criteria    = Cultural: i, ii
| ID          = 712-001
| Year        = 1994
| Area        = {{convert|218|ha|acre|abbr=on}}
}}

'''Vicenza''' ({{IPAc-en|v|ɪ|ˈ|tʃ|ɛ|n|t|s|ə}} {{respell|vih|CHENT|sə}}, {{IPA|it|viˈtʃɛntsa|lang|It-Vicenza.ogg}}; {{Langx|vec|Vicença}} or {{lang|vec|Vicensa}} {{IPA|vec|viˈtʃeŋsa|}}, archaically {{Lang|vec|Vixenza}} {{IPA|vec|viˈzeŋ(t)sa|}}) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the [[Veneto]] region, at the northern base of the [[Monte Berico]], where it straddles the [[Bacchiglione|River Bacchiglione]]. Vicenza is approximately {{convert|60|km|mi}} west of [[Venice]] and {{convert|200|km|mi}} east of [[Milan]].

Vicenza is a thriving and cosmopolitan city, with a rich history and culture, and many museums, art galleries, [[piazza]]s, [[villa]]s, churches and elegant [[Renaissance]] ''[[Palazzo|palazzi]]''. With the [[Palladian villas of the Veneto]] in the surrounding area, and his renowned [[Teatro Olimpico]] ("Olympic Theater"), the "city of Palladio" has been listed as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] since 1994.<ref name="books.google.co.uk" />

Vicenza had an estimated population of 115,927<ref>Data from [http://www.comune.vicenza.it/ente/settori/staff/statistica/statmese.php?anno=2010&mese=12 Comune di Vicenza] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928133229/http://www.comune.vicenza.it/ente/settori/staff/statistica/statmese.php?anno=2010&mese=12 |date=28 September 2011 }} {{inlang|it}}.</ref> and a metropolitan area of 270,000 in 2008. Vicenza is the third-largest Italian industrial centre as measured by the value of its exports, and is one of the country's wealthiest cities,<ref name="books.google.co.uk">{{Cite book |last=Moretti |first=John |url={{GBurl|id=_lG9LUf5esgC|p=188}} |title=Frommer's Northern Italy |date=2008-03-14 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-470-29096-5 |access-date=2011-09-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Economy |url=http://www.vicenza.org/mosaic/economy.htm |publisher=Vicenza |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009085928/http://www.vicenza.org/mosaic/economy.htm |archive-date=2011-10-09 |access-date=2011-09-15}}</ref> in large part due to its textile and steel industries, which employ tens of thousands of people. Additionally, about one fifth of the country's gold and jewelry is made in Vicenza, greatly contributing to the city's economy. Another important sector is the engineering/computer components industry ([[Federico Faggin]], the microprocessor's co-inventor, was born in Vicenza).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Federico Faggin - Engineering and Technology History Wiki |url=http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Federico_Faggin |website=Ieeeghn.org |date=25 January 2016 |access-date=1 December 2017}}</ref>

== History ==
{{Main article|History of Vicenza}}
{{For timeline}}
=== Roman era ===
Vicentia was settled by the Italic [[Euganei]] tribe and then by the Paleo-[[Adriatic Veneti|Veneti]] tribe in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Places: 393513 (Vicetia) |url=http://pleiades.stoa.org/places/393513 |last1=Pearce|first1=M.|first2=R.|last2=Peretto|first3=P.|last3=Tozzi |last4=DARMC|first5=R.|last5=Talbert|first6=S.|last6=Gillies|first7=J.|last7=Åhlfeldt|first8=J.|last8=Becker|first9=T.|last9=Elliott |date=2018-06-08 |publisher=Pleiades |access-date=April 10, 2013<!-- 12:09 pm -->}}</ref> The [[ancient Rome|Romans]] allied themselves with the Paleo-Veneti in their fight against the Celtic tribes that populated north-western Italy.
<ref>Polybius, 2.23.3; Strabo, ''Geog.'' 5.1.9</ref> The Roman presence in the area grew exponentially{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} over time and the Paleo-Veneti (whose culture mirrored Etruscan and Greek values more so than Celtic ones) were gradually assimilated. {{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} In 157 BC, the city was a de facto Roman centre and was given the name of '''''Vicetia''''' or '''''Vincentia''''', meaning "victorious".

The citizens of Vicetia received [[Roman citizenship]] and were inscribed into the Roman tribe ''Romilia'' in 49 BC. The city was known for its agriculture, brickworks, marble quarry, and wool industry and had some importance as a way-station on the important road from ''[[Milan|Mediolanum]]'' (Milan) to [[Aquileia]], near ''Tergeste'' (Trieste), but it was overshadowed by its neighbor ''[[Patavium]]'' ([[Padua]]). Little survives of the Roman city, but three of the bridges across the [[Bacchiglione]] and Retrone rivers are of Roman origin, and isolated arches of a [[Roman aqueduct]] exist outside the ''Porta Santa Croce''.

During the decline of the [[Western Roman Empire]], [[Heruls]], [[Vandals]], [[Alaric I|Alaric]] and his [[Visigoths]], as well as the [[Huns]] laid waste to the area, but the city recovered after the [[Ostrogoth]] conquest in 489 AD, before being conquered by the [[Byzantine Empire]] soon after. It was also an important [[Lombards|Lombard]] city and then a [[Frankish Empire|Frankish]] center. Numerous [[Benedictine]] monasteries were built in the Vicenza area, beginning in the 6th century.

=== Middle Ages ===
In 899, Vicenza was destroyed by [[Hungarian people|Magyar]] raiders.

In 1001, [[Otto III]] handed over the government of the city to the [[bishop]], and its communal organization had an opportunity to develop, separating soon from the episcopal authority. It took an active part in the League with Verona and, most of all, in the [[Lombard League]] (1164–1167) against Emperor [[Frederick Barbarossa|Frederick I Barbarossa]] compelling Padua and Treviso to join: its {{lang|it|[[podestà]]}}, [[Ezzelino III da Romano|Ezzelino II il Balbo]], was captain of the league. When peace was restored, however, the old rivalry with Padua, [[Bassano del Grappa|Bassano]], and other cities was renewed, besides which there were the internal factions of the Vivaresi ([[Ghibellines]]) and the Maltraversi ([[Guelphs]]).

The tyrannical [[Ezzelino III]] from Bassano drove the Guelphs out of Vicenza, and caused his brother, [[Alberico da Romano|Alberico]], to be elected podestà in 1230. The independent [[medieval commune|commune]] joined the Second Lombard League against Emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] who sacked the city in 1237, after which it was annexed to Ezzelino's dominions. On his death the old oligarchic [[republic]] political structure was restored – a ''consiglio maggiore'' ("grand council") of four hundred members and a ''consiglio minore'' ("small council") of forty members – and it formed a league with Padua, [[Treviso]] and [[Verona]]. Three years later the Vicentines entrusted the protection of the city to [[Padua]], so as to safeguard republican liberty; but this protectorate (''custodia'') quickly became dominion, and for that reason Vicenza in 1311 submitted to the [[Scaligeri]] lords of [[Verona]], who fortified it against the [[Visconti of Milan]].

Vicenza [[War of Padua|came under the rule]] of the [[Republic of Venice]] in 1404, and its subsequent history is that of Venice. It was besieged by the [[Emperor Sigismund]]. In 1496, the ''[[podestà]]'' [[Antonio Bernardo (humanist)|Antonio Bernardo]] expelled the Jews from Vicenza.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Civic Piety and Patriotism: Patrician Humanists and Jews in Venice and Its Empire |first=Stephen |last=Bowd |journal=Renaissance Quarterly |volume=69 |issue=4 |year=2016 |page=1284 |jstor=26560059}}</ref> [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] held possession of Vicenza in 1509 and 1516.

=== Early modern era ===
Vicenza was a candidate to host the [[Council of Trent]].

The 16th century was the time of [[Andrea Palladio]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Butler |first=Sophie |date=14 October 2009 |title=Vicenza: Who needs Venice? |work=Telegraph.co.uk |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/6324511/Vicenza-Who-needs-Venice.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/6324511/Vicenza-Who-needs-Venice.html |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=1 December 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> who left many outstanding examples of his art with palaces and villas in the city's territory, which before Palladio's passage, was arguably the most downtrodden and esthetically lacking city in Veneto.

After the [[Fall of the Venetian Republic]] in 1797, under [[Napoleonic Wars|Napoleonic]] rule, it was made a [[duché grand-fief]] (not a grand duchy, but a hereditary (extinguished in 1896), nominal duchy, a rare honor reserved for French officials) within Napoleon's personal [[Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)|Kingdom of Italy]] for general [[Armand Augustin Louis de Caulaincourt|Caulaincourt]], also imperial Grand-Écuyer. One of the consequences of the city's occupation was the destruction of a prized silver model of the city, the [[Jewel of Vicenza]].

=== 19th century and later ===
After 1814, Vicenza passed to the [[Austrian Empire]]. In 1848, however, the populace rose against Austria, more violently than in any other Italian centre apart from Milan and Brescia (the city would receive the highest award for military valour for the courage displayed by revolutionaries in this period). As a part of the [[Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia]], it was annexed to [[unification of Italy|Italy]] after the [[Austro-Prussian War|Third War of Italian independence]].

Vicenza's area was a location of major combat in both [[World War I]] (on the Asiago plateau) and [[World War II]] (a focal center of the Italian resistance), and it was the most damaged city in Veneto by [[Bombing of Vicenza in World War II|Allied bombings]], including many of its monuments; the civil victims were over 2,000. The end of World War II was followed by a period of depression, caused by the devastation during the two world wars. In the 1960s, the whole central part of Veneto, witnessed a strong economic development caused by the emergence of small and medium family businesses, ranging in a vast array of products (that often emerged illegally) that paved the way for what would be known as the ''"miracolo del nord-est"'' ("miracle of the northeast").
In the following years, the economic development grew vertiginously. Huge industrial areas sprouted around the city, massive and disorganized urbanization and employment of foreign immigrants increased.

Vicenza is home to the [[United States Army|US Army]] [[Military base|post]] [[Caserma Ederle]] (Camp Ederle), also known as the [[U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza]]. In 1965, [[Caserma Ederle]] became the [[headquarters]] of the Southern European Task Force, which includes the [[173d Airborne Brigade]]. In January 2006, the [[European Gendarmerie Force]] was inaugurated in Vicenza.

== Geography ==
{{expand section|date=October 2023}}
Vicenza lies in the [[Veneto]] region, at the northern base of [[Monte Berico]], where it straddles the [[Bacchiglione|Bacchiglione River]]. Vicenza is approximately {{convert|60|km|mi}} west of [[Venice]] and {{convert|200|km|mi}} east of [[Milan]].

=== Climate ===
{{Weather box
|location = Vicenza (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1951–2008)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 15.9
|Feb record high C = 21.7
|Mar record high C = 26.8
|Apr record high C = 30.0
|May record high C = 34.8
|Jun record high C = 37.4
|Jul record high C = 37.4
|Aug record high C = 38.2
|Sep record high C = 33.2
|Oct record high C = 29.4
|Nov record high C = 24.4
|Dec record high C = 17.8
|year record high C = 38.2
|Jan high C = 7.2
|Feb high C = 9.2
|Mar high C = 13.9
|Apr high C = 18.0
|May high C = 23.7
|Jun high C = 27.1
|Jul high C = 29.7
|Aug high C = 29.2
|Sep high C = 24.7
|Oct high C = 18.7
|Nov high C = 12.2
|Dec high C = 8.1
| year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 2.9
|Feb mean C = 4.2
|Mar mean C = 8.6
|Apr mean C = 12.6
|May mean C = 18.0
|Jun mean C = 21.6
|Jul mean C = 24.0
|Aug mean C = 23.4
|Sep mean C = 19.2
|Oct mean C = 14.0
|Nov mean C = 7.8
|Dec mean C = 3.8
| year mean C = 
|Jan low C = -1.4
|Feb low C = -0.8
|Mar low C = 3.3
|Apr low C = 7.3
|May low C = 12.4
|Jun low C = 16.2
|Jul low C = 18.2
|Aug low C = 17.5
|Sep low C = 13.6
|Oct low C = 9.2
|Nov low C = 3.4
|Dec low C = -0.4
| year low C = 
|Jan record low C = −20.0
|Feb record low C = −18.6
|Mar record low C = −10.0
|Apr record low C = −3.2
|May record low C = −0.8
|Jun record low C = 2.6
|Jul record low C = 9.5
|Aug record low C = 8.0
|Sep record low C = 3.8
|Oct record low C = −3.6
|Nov record low C = −8.0
|Dec record low C = −13.0
|year record low C = -20.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 76.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 67.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 76.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 97.3
|May precipitation mm = 100.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 104.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 74.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 79.5
|Sep precipitation mm = 92.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 115.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 93.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 81.5
|year precipitation mm = 
|Jan humidity = 81
|Feb humidity = 77
|Mar humidity = 73
|Apr humidity = 74
|May humidity = 72
|Jun humidity = 73
|Jul humidity = 72
|Aug humidity = 73
|Sep humidity = 74
|Oct humidity = 78
|Nov humidity = 80
|Dec humidity = 82
|year humidity = 76
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 7.0
|Feb precipitation days = 5.0
|Mar precipitation days = 6.4
|Apr precipitation days = 9.5
|May precipitation days = 10.0
|Jun precipitation days = 9.3
|Jul precipitation days = 6.8
|Aug precipitation days = 6.7
|Sep precipitation days = 6.1
|Oct precipitation days = 7.5
|Nov precipitation days = 7.1
|Dec precipitation days = 6.4
|year precipitation days = 
|source 1 = Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale<ref name =ISPRA>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230917192649/https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/
| archive-date = 17 September 2023
| url = https://valori-climatici-normali.isprambiente.it/
| title = Valori climatici normali in Italia
| publisher=Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale
| access-date = 26 November 2024}}</ref>
|source 2 = Servizio Meteorologico (precipitation 1971–2000, humidity 1961–1990)<ref name="SM">{{Cite web |title=Vicenza (VI) |language=it|url=http://clima.meteoam.it/AtlanteClim2/pdf/(094)Vicenza.pdf |website=Atlante climatico |publisher=Servizio Meteorologico |access-date=19 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="SMsun">{{Cite web |title=STAZIONE 094 Vicenza: medie mensili periodo 61 – 90 |url=http://clima.meteoam.it/web_clima_sysman/Clino6190/CLINO094.txt |language=it|publisher=Servizio Meteorologico |access-date=19 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="extremes">{{Cite web |title=Vicenza: Record mensili dal 1951 al 2008 |url=http://climaintoscana.altervista.org/italia/stazioni-wmo/vicenza/ |language=it |publisher=Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare  |access-date=19 May 2015}}</ref>
|date=May 2015
}}

== Demographics ==
{{wide image|Vicenza - Panorama.jpg|1300px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view from Monte Berico}}

{{Historical populations|3=1871|4=37475|5=1881|6=38713|7=1901|8=43703|9=1911|10=53107|11=1921|12=59611|13=1931|14=64372|15=1936|16=69379|17=1951|18=79862|19=1961|20=98019|21=1971|22=116620|23=1981|24=114598|25=1991|26=107454|27=2001|28=107223|29=2011|30=111500|31=2021|32=110293|footnote=Source: [[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]|cols=1|align=right}}In 2007, there were 114,268 people residing in Vicenza of whom 47.6% were male and 52.4% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 17.17% of the population, compared to pensioners, who number 21.60%. This compares with the Italian average of 18.06% (minors) and 19.94% (pensioners). The average age of Vicenza residents is 43 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Vicenza grew by 3.72%, while Italy as a whole grew by 3.85%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statistiche demografiche ISTAT:2007 |language=it|url=http://demo.istat.it/bil2007/index.html |publisher=Demo.istat.it |access-date=2012-05-06}}</ref> The current birth rate of Vicenza is 9.16 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.

{{Refimprove|paragraph|date=April 2014}}
In 2010, 83.5% of the population was [[Italian people|Italian]]. From 1876 to 1976 it has been calculated that over 1,000,000 people from the province of Vicenza have emigrated, with more than 3,000,000 people of Vicentino descent living around the world (most common migrational currents included [[Brazil]], the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]], [[Germany]], [[France]], [[Belgium]] and [[Switzerland]]) escaping the devastation left by poverty, war and sickness. Today, almost 100,000 Vicenza citizens live and work abroad and the city has morphed from a land of emigration to a land of immigration. The largest immigrant group comes from the [[United States]] (about 9,000 people, partly due to the presence of the [[Caserma Ederle|military base]]). Other ethnic minorities comes from other European nations (the largest being [[Serbia]], [[Romania]], and [[Moldova]]), [[South Asian]] (the largest being [[Bangladesh]] and [[Pakistan]]), [[sub-saharan Africa]], and [[North Africa]] (largest is from [[Morocco]]). The city is predominantly [[Roman Catholic]], but due to immigration, it now has some [[Eastern Orthodox|Orthodox Christian]], [[Muslim]] and [[Sikh]] followers.

==Government==
{{See also|List of mayors of Vicenza}}

== Architecture ==
{{See also|List of palaces of Vicenza}}[[File:Basilica Palladiana (Vicenza) - facade on Piazza dei signori.jpg|thumb|[[Basilica Palladiana]]]]
[[File:Basilica Palladiana a Vicenza Italy and Piazza dei Signori and Loggia del Capitaniato Palace.jpg|thumb|Basilica Palladiana with clock tower]]
[[File:Vicenza false street.JPG|thumb|The three-dimensional stage of the [[Teatro Olimpico]] in Vicenza]]
[[File:Palazzo Thiene Bonin Longare Vicenza centro storico.jpg|thumb|[[Palazzo Thiene Bonin Longare]], designed by Palladio and built by [[Vincenzo Scamozzi]]]]
[[File:Palazzo Chiericati (Vicenza).jpg|thumb|Palazzo Chiericati]]
[[File:Vicenza, World Heritage List.jpg|thumb|upright|220px|Plaque for Vicenza in the UNESCO World Heritage List]]

In 1994 [[UNESCO]] inscribed "Vicenza, City of Palladio" on its list of [[World Heritage Site]]s. In 1996, the site was expanded to include the Palladian villas outside the core area, and accordingly renamed "[[City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto]]".

=== Palladio's works ===
Vicenza is home to twenty-three buildings designed by Palladio. Famous examples include:

* [[Basilica Palladiana]], centrally located in Vicenza's ''Piazza dei Signori'', of which Palladio himself said that "it might stand comparison with any similar work of antiquity"
* [[Teatro Olimpico]], designed for the ''[[Accademia Olimpica]]'' (Olympic Academy) and begun to be built in 1580, when Palladio died. The wooden scenes are by [[Vincenzo Scamozzi]].
* [[Villa La Rotonda|Villa Almerico Capra]] (also known as "La Rotonda"), located just outside the downtown area
* [[Palazzo Chiericati]], home of the city pinacotheca
* [[Palazzo Barbaran da Porto]], home of the ''Museo Palladio''
* [[Palazzo del Capitaniato]], home of the city council
* [[Palazzo Porto, Vicenza|Palazzo Porto]]
* [[Palazzo Porto in Piazza Castello]] (incomplete)
* [[Palazzo Thiene Bonin Longare]] (built by Vincenzo Scamozzi)
* [[Palazzo Thiene]]
* [[Villa Gazzotti Grimani]], in the ''[[frazione]]'' Bertesina

=== Other sights ===
==== Churches ====
{{See also|History of religious architecture in Vicenza|History of religious life in Vicenza}}
Some of the main historical churches:
* [[Cathedral of Vicenza]] (church of Santa Maria Annunciata), dating from early in the 11th century, and restored in the 13th, 16th, 19th and after the ruinous destruction of [[World War II]], possesses a number of paintings and sculptures, nearly all of them by Vicentine artists; the dome and north side door were designed by [[Andrea Palladio]].
* Basilica Sanctuary of Saint Mary of [[Monte Berico]]: the structure was completed in two stages, creating two churches in different styles: the first in 1428 in Gothic style, the second in 1703 by [[Carlo Borella]], designed as a late-baroque style [[basilica]]. The adjacent convent, houses ''The Supper of Saint Gregory the Great'', a large canvas by [[Paolo Veronese]]. The bell tower (1826) was designed by Antonio Piovene. The basilica commemorates two apparitions of Our Lady to Vincenza Pasini, a pious woman who lived in a village in the province, and the liberation of the city from a terrible plague.
* [[Basilica of Saints Felix and Fortunatus|Basilica of Santi Felice and Fortunato]]: church built in the 4th century within a Roman cemetery and expanded in the 5th century to house the relics of the martyrs Felice and Fortunato. In the 9th century, the city, and the church, were razed by the [[Hungarians]]; by the 10th century, the church had been re-erected by the bishop Rodolfo with the support of [[Emperor Otto II]]. It has the layout of a [[paleochristian]] basilica, initially rectangular, then doubled in width and divided into three naves. After the Hungarian invasions, the [[Benedictines]] built a new baptistery and the semicircular apse, adding the bell tower and the rosette, as well as a series of blind arches and a Byzantine cross in front. In later centuries, the interiors underwent a radical alteration, enriching it with Baroque altars and decorations. A 20th century restoration removed many of these embellishments. Next to the church there is a small museum exhibition with archaeological finds from the church and from the nearby Roman [[necropolis]].
* [[Santa Corona (Vicenza)|Santa Corona]]: one of the oldest and most important churches of the city, this 13th century church first endowed by the bishop of Verona, the Blessed Bartholomew of Breganze, to shelter one of the thorns from Christ's crown. It was under the purview of the [[Dominican Order|Dominicans]] after the death of [[Ezzelino III da Romano]]. It houses paintings by [[Bartolomeo Montagna|Montagna]] (''The Magdelene''), [[Giovanni Bellini|Bellini]] (''Baptism of Christ'') and others; the [[crypt]] hosts the Valmarana chapel by Palladio. The church underwent a major restoration in 2012.
* San Giorgio in Gogna: one of the oldest churches in the city, built before the year 1000 with a [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] façade. The outer walls consist of agglomerates of different materials (brick, stone, marble salvaged from other buildings) are clearly a demonstration of the origin of the construction craft, which can be seen especially in the polygonal apse. It was restored by the diocese in 2011.
* San Lorenzo (1280): church built by Conventual Franciscans, also known as [[minorites]], in mixed Gothic and Lombard Romanesque styles. Located along Corso Fogazzaro facing the central Piazza San Lorenzo, it hosts the tombs of illustrious Vicentines and is served by the Conventual Franciscans.
* [[Santa Maria Nova, Vicenza|Santa Maria Nova]]: late 16th-century church is the only religious architecture designed and built by Palladio in Vicenza, apart from the Valmarana chapel and the limited interventions in the cathedral.
* [[Santa Maria in Araceli, Vicenza|Santa Maria in Araceli]] (1244): church later refurbished by [[Guarino Guarini|Guarini]] in Baroque style, formerly belonged to the [[Clarisses]], contains statues by [[Orazio Marinali]] and [[Giacomo Cassetti|Cassetti]], and the reproductions of original altarpieces by [[Piazzetta]] and [[Giovanni Battista Tiepolo|Tiepolo]] (now at the Pinacotheca Civica).
* Santa Maria of the Servites (Vicenza)|Santa Maria of the Servites: church in Piazza Biade adjacent to the Piazza dei Signori, was commissioned in the early 15th century by the order of the [[Servants of Mary]]. The church portal was executed in the studio where Andrea Palladio worked at the beginning of his career and would be one of his earliest works. In the [[cloister]], in 1319, the miracles of St. [[Philip Benizi de Damiani]] took place.
* [[Santa Maria Etiopissa, Vicenza|Santa Maria Etiopissa]] (1154): a simple stone and brick structure church.
* [[San Marco in San Girolamo]] (early 18th century): late baroque church built by the [[Discalced Carmelites]] on a previous convent and church of the [[Jesuati]]. The architect is unknown, but inside it is clear the influence of the style of the Venetian [[Giorgio Massari]]. After the Napoleonic abolition of the religious orders and their convents, it became in 1810 the church of San Marco, one of the oldest parishes in the city. It hosts many works by Vicentine and Venetian artists of the early 18th century, including some masterpieces. The sacristy preserves the complete original furniture of the time.
* San Vincenzo: church dedicated to Saint [[Vincent of Saragossa]] – ancient patron of Vicenza – overlooks Piazza dei Signori, facing the Basilica Palladiana, interrupting the smooth texture of the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà. The church was built between the 14th and the 18th centuries. The baroque façade (1614–1617) hosts two lodges with three arches, in [[Corinthian order|Corinthian]] and composite style. The lodges are surmounted by a crown with Christ mourned by angels by Giambattista Albamese, also author of the five statues in the [[pediment]]. Behind the lodge there is the ancient church of 1387, offset in relation to the building that has incorporated, with the altar facing east. The interior of the church, as amended in 1499 and again in the 18th century by [[Francesco Muttoni]], was restored in the 1920s. It hosts the ark of Simone Sarego (14th century), the impressive altar, [[rococo]] work of Bernardo Tabacco, and the altar of Pietà, masterpiece of a young [[Orazio Marinali]] (1689). Within the porch, a red marble stele is engraved with the ancient official linear measures of the Community of Vicenza.
* Sant'Agostino: church built upon older buildings in the 14th century, the ancient convent of Saint Augustine is located on the western outskirts of the city, giving its name to the parish and to the ''frazione''. The abbey church was rebuilt in Romanesque style during the rule of [[Cangrande della Scala]] between 1322 and 1357. The church has a rich decoration and a large altarpiece of 1404 by Battista da Vicenza.
* [[Oratory of San Nicola da Tolentino]]: finished in 1678 on commission of the fraternity of St. Nicholas, it is a chapel that houses a series of paintings focused on the life of the saint, among the highest levels of the measured Baroque of Vicenza.
* The Churches of the Carmini (1372) and St. Catherine (1292), formerly belonging to the Humiliati, possess notable pictures.
* Santa Croce (1179)
* Santi Filippo and Giacomo (12th century)
* [[Church and Monastery of St. Peter]]

==== Secular buildings ====
* The [[Torre Bissara]] (clock tower) (1174), at 82 meters high, is one of the tallest buildings.
* The [[Biblioteca Civica Bertoliana]], a public library founded by Count Giovanni M. Bertolo and opened in 1708
* [[Casa Pigafetta]] (1440), house of [[Antonio Pigafetta]]
* The Pinacotheca Civica houses mainly Vicentine paintings in the Palladian [[Palazzo Chiericati]].

== Libraries ==
* [[Biblioteca Civica Bertoliana]], a public library founded by Count Giovanni M. Bertolo and opened in 1708
* [[International Library La Vigna]], a specialized library

== Economy and infrastructure ==
The surrounding country is predominantly agricultural. Major products are wine, wheat, corn,  olive oil (in the Barbarano area) and cherries and asparagus are a particularity of Bassano. There are also quarries of marble, sulphur, copper, and silver mines, and beds of lignite and kaolin; mineral springs also abound, the most famous being those of Recoaro.

Massive industrial areas surround the city and extend extensively in the western and eastern hinterland, with numerous steel and textile factories located in the [[Montecchio Maggiore]], [[Chiampo]] and [[Sovizzo]] area in the west and [[Camisano Vicentino]] and [[Torri di Quartesolo]] in the east, areas characterised by a disorganised and extensive cementifaction.

Elite sectors are the jewelry and clothing factories. Important vicentino clothing firms include: [[Diesel (company)|Diesel]], [[Pal Zileri]], [[Marzotto]], [[Bottega Veneta]], [[MCS (fashion brand)|Marlboro Classics]] etc. The Gold Exposition is world-famous and it takes place in Vicenza twice a year (January and September).

Other industries worthy of mention are the woollen and silk, pottery, tanneries, and musical instruments. The headquarters of the bicycle component manufacturer [[Campagnolo]] and the protective wear for sports manufacturer [[Dainese]] are located here.

== Transport ==
[[Vicenza railway station]], opened in 1846, forms part of the [[Milan–Venice railway]], and is also a [[junction (rail)|junction]] of two branch lines, to Schio and Treviso.

== Sport ==

The city is home to professional football club [[L.R. Vicenza]], which currently compete in [[Serie C]]. Their home venue is the [[Stadio Romeo Menti]] with a capacity of 12,000.

Vicenza is home to [http://www.hurricanes.it Vicenza Hurricanes] American Football team which currently plays in [[:it:Lega Nazionale American Football|League 2]]. Founded in 2009, the Hurricanes have a junior team and a senior team with a roster of 35+ athletes.

Vicenza is also home to Rangers Rugby Vicenza, a rugby union team who compete in Serie A Elite.

== Cuisine and popular dishes ==
{{Main|Cuisine of Vicenza}}

Vicenza's cuisine reflects its humble, agricultural past: simple, hearty meals made with fresh local ingredients that reflect the province's geographical diversity.

Unlike Venetian cuisine where fish reigns supreme, game meat, cheeses and vegetables take center stage accompanied by polenta, soft from the stove or day-old sliced and grilled over the fireplace embers, better yet cooked in a pan under the spit where it lightly fries in meat drippings to create a crunchy golden outer crust.

Vicenza is known for its simple dishes, and often famous cheeses, fruits, ingredients and wines, such as sopressa vicentina, [[Asiago cheese]], [[Marostica]] cherries, Nanto truffles, Bassano del Grappa asparagus and Breganze Cabernet wine.

[[File:Baccala alla vicentina.jpg|thumb|A plate of ''[[baccalà alla vicentina]]'', a typical dish of the city]]

* ''[[Baccalà alla vicentina]]''
* ''Risi e bisi'' (rice and green peas)
* ''Polenta e Osei''
* ''Bigoli all'arna'' (thick fresh egg noodles with duck ragout)
* ''Putana'' (in this case not the vulgar term meaning "whore", but a fruit cake traditionally made with poor ingredients such as old bread or polenta and dried fruit such as raisins)

The inhabitants of Vicenza are jokingly referred to by other Italians as ''mangiagatti'', or "cat eaters". Purportedly, Vicentini turned to cats for sustenance during times of famine, such as during [[World War II]].

== People ==
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[The Bloody Beetroots]], band
* [[Amy Adams]], American actress
* [[Lewis Albanese]], [[Medal of Honor]] recipient during Vietnam War
* [[Giovanni Maria Angiolello]], traveller and historian
* [[Francesco Aviani]], painter
* [[Josephine Bakhita|Giuseppina Bakhita]], saint
* [[Roberto Baggio]], football player
* [[Luca Bassanese]], singer
* [[Valerio Belli]], sculptor and engraver
* [[Maria Bertilla Boscardin]], saint
* [[Miki Biasion]], rally driver
* [[CutiePieMarzia|Marzia Bisognin]], [[YouTube]] celebrity
* [[Gelindo Bordin]], athlete
* [[Roberto Busa]], religious and informatic engineer
* [[Aulus Caecina Alienus]], Roman general
* [[Tullio Campagnolo|Gentullio "Tullio" Campagnolo]], bicycle component maker and inventor
* [[Francesco Chieregati]], papal nuncio and bishop
* [[Bartolomeo Cittadella]], painter
* [[Carlo Cracco]], chef and television personality
* [[Luigi Da Porto]], writer
* [[Alby Sabrina Pretto]], ballerina
* [[Ilvo Diamanti]], political scientist
* [[Federico Faggin]], inventor
* [[Adolfo Farsari]], photographer
* [[Ferreto dei Ferreti]], historian (14th century)
* [[Antonio Fogazzaro]], writer
* [[Jessie James]], singer
* [[Niccolò Leoniceno]], medic
* [[Paolo Lioy]], naturalist
* [[Luigi Meneghello]], writer (professor at [[University of Reading]])
* [[Romeo Menti]], football player of the [[Grande Torino]], died in the [[Superga air disaster]]
* [[Francesco Muttoni]], architect
* [[Andrea Palladio]], architect
* [[Goffredo Parise]], writer
* [[Marco Pelle]], choreographer, director
* [[Antonio Pigafetta]], explorer, companion of [[Ferdinand Magellan]]
* [[Guido Piovene]], journalist and writer
* [[Joseph Pivato]], Canadian writer and academic, born in [[Tezze sul Brenta]]
* [[Orlando Pizzolato]], athlete
* [[Sergio Romano (writer)|Sergio Romano]], diplomat and historian
* [[Paolo Rossi]], football player
* [[Mariano Rumor]], politician
* [[Sonia Gandhi]], Indian politician, wife of former Indian Prime Minister [[Rajiv Gandhi]]
* [[Flo Sandon's]], singer
* [[Vincenzo Scamozzi]], architect
* [[Sharon Tate]], American actress and model. She attended Vicenza American High School.
* [[Tiziano Treu]], politician
* [[Vitaliano Trevisan]], writer and actor
* [[Gian Giorgio Trissino]], humanist and poet
* [[Antonio Turra]], botanist and physician
* [[Guido Vedovato]], painter
* [[Nicola Vicentino]], theorist and composer
* [[Bruno Zamborlin]], AI researcher
* [[Giacomo Zanella]], writer and priest
{{div col end}}


== International relations ==

=== Twin towns – sister cities ===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy}}
Vicenza is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:
* {{flagicon|France}} [[Annecy]], France, since 1995
* {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Pforzheim]], Germany, since 1991
* {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[Wuxi]], China, since 2006<ref>{{Cite web |title=中国无锡·无锡市人民政府外事办公室·维琴察市 (Vicenza, Italy) |language=zh |url=http://fao.wuxi.gov.cn/web101/gjyc/wxs/629849.shtml |date=Nov 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102031354/http://fao.wuxi.gov.cn/web101/gjyc/wxs/629849.shtml |archive-date=2013-11-02 |access-date=May 3, 2020}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|United States}} [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]], U.S., since 2009<ref name="Cleveland sisters">{{Cite web |title=Sister Cities International (SCI) |url=http://www.sister-cities.org/interactive-map/Cleveland,%20Ohio |publisher=Sister-cities.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613003251/http://www.sister-cities.org/interactive-map/Cleveland%2C%20Ohio |archive-date=2015-06-13 |access-date=2013-04-21}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Italy|European Union|Cities}}
* [[Sartori of Vicenza|Sartori family]]
* [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Vicenza]]

== References ==
=== General sources ===
{{See also|Timeline of Vicenza#Bibliography}}
* {{Catholic|wstitle=Diocese of Vicenza}}
* {{EB1911 |wstitle=Vicenza |volume=28 |page=20 |first=Thomas |last=Ashby |author-link=Thomas Ashby (archaeologist)}}

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.comune.vicenza.it/ Official site of the comune]
* [http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/napoleon.htm#duches Heraldica.org Napoleonic heraldry]
* [http://www.webvisionitaly.com/category.php?id=248&ref_genre=&ref_item=416 Video introduction to Teatro Olimpico by Andrea Palladio]
* [http://www.vicenza.com Vicenza city web Portal | VICENZA.COM]
* [http://www.vicenza.com/guida Guide of Vicenza | VICENZA.COM] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224173413/http://www.vicenza.com/guida |date=24 February 2019 }}
* [http://www.vicenza.com/servizi/webcam/index.php Webcam on Vicenza's main square Piazza dei Signori, viewing the Basilica Palladiana of Andrea Palladio | VICENZA.COM] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618154623/http://www.vicenza.com/servizi/webcam/index.php |date=18 June 2014 }}
* [http://www.vicenza.com/eventi-oggi Vicenza events calendar | VICENZA.COM] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224173526/http://www.vicenza.com/eventi-oggi |date=24 February 2019 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130728082910/http://www.italiaoutdoors.com/vicenza-province Vicenza Outdoor Activities]

{{World Heritage Sites in Italy}}
{{Andrea Palladio}}
{{Province of Vicenza}}
{{Cities in Italy}}
{{Subject bar|Italy|European Union|Europe |commons=y |voy=y}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Vicenza| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Veneto]]
[[Category:Territories of the Republic of Venice]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Italy]]